# 2025-20902: Authorizations for Certain Post-Licensing Activities at Hydroelectric Projects

2025-20902, Authorizations for Certain Post-Licensing Activities at Hydroelectric Projects, is a Federal Register notice from Energy Department, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published 2025-11-25, effective Comments are due January 26, 2026. (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20902
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-20902
- Title: Authorizations for Certain Post-Licensing Activities at Hydroelectric Projects
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Energy Department; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Citation: 90 FR 53310
- Published: 2025-11-25
- Effective: Comments are due January 26, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-01-26
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wants to make it easier for hydroelectric projects to do maintenance, repairs, and upgrades without asking for special permission every time. They’re asking for public comments by January 26, 2026, to decide if and how to change the rules. This could speed up work and save time and money for hydro project owners and operators.

## Abstract

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is inviting comments on whether certain activities can be implemented without case-specific authorization from the Commission under Part I of the Federal Power Act and on what changes, if any, the Commission should make to its processes for reviewing and authorizing post- licensing activities at hydropower facilities, including maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to hydropower project infrastructure.

## Effects PRIA read

- Possible Streamlined Authorization: benefit, medium. The Commission is asking whether certain maintenance, repairs, and upgrades at hydroelectric projects can be done without case-specific approval under the Federal Power Act. If adopted, this could let hydro project owners and operators implement some post-licensing activities more quickly and could…
- Potential Notice and Reporting Rules: cost, medium. The Commission is considering whether to use a blanket authorization program like natural gas pipeline rules, which could include requiring prior notice for some activities, a 60-day notice/protest window, and semi-annual or annual reporting of authorized post-licensing work. These possible new not…
- Environmental and Safety Rules Still Apply: cost, medium. The notice makes clear that activities remain subject to federal environmental and safety laws such as NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Commission's dam safety rules. Even if the Commission allows some activities without case-spe…

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## Sources
- [2025-20902 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/25/2025-20902/authorizations-for-certain-post-licensing-activities-at-hydroelectric-projects)
- [2025-20902 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-25/pdf/2025-20902.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-20901, Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20901)
- [Next: 2025-20903, Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20903)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20902 (as of 2026-06-08).